


Friends, Wolves, Countrymen

by milkyway



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek and Stiles are Mates, Feels, Fluff, Future Fic, Gen, Married Couple, Mates, Pack Dynamics, Parent Derek and Stiles, Politics, Religious Imagery & Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-14
Updated: 2013-10-14
Packaged: 2017-12-29 09:41:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1003869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkyway/pseuds/milkyway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Stiles is elected as the first human President of the Supreme Council of Werewolves (and also the youngest President in history), he makes an emotional inaugural speech to an overjoyed crowd, in the presence of Derek and their children.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friends, Wolves, Countrymen

**Author's Note:**

> If only this were true! This is presented as if it were a transcript of the speech recorded for posterity.

_**Friends, Wolves, Countrymen** _

 

  

 

_The Inaugural Address_

_given by_

_VOJTECH SIGMUND "Stiles" STILINSKI_

_as XXVIIIth (and first Human) President of the North American Supreme Council of Werewolves_

_at the XXXIVth Convocation of the Supreme Council;_

_at New Orleans, Louisiana_

  

 

 

_February 4th, 2024_

 

* * *

  

Ladies and Gentlemen, Honorable Members of the Council, Past Presidents, Friends;

Tonight is a momentous night for all of God's creatures. I am humbled and awed by the trust that you have bestowed on me and I hope that this nerdy, accident-prone boy from Northern California will serve you with the integrity and humility you all deserve. Ultimately, I stand here before you not as a doctor, not as a senator, and not as your Council President, but as a father, husband and son, an ordinary Californian who was raised by my wonderful parents with a deep love and respect for the precious thing that is life, no matter what form it might take.

That you have now chosen a human to lead this august Council for the next three years speaks volumes about the core values the Council has always sought to uphold: respect and tolerance. I would like to take a moment to address the fact that I am a human, and not blessed with the gifts that come with being a child of the Wolf, although I am a proud pack member and loyal to my Alpha.

Humanity is such a nebulous concept. It is lost on most humans, because we take it for granted. We use the word "humane" to describe reverence for the sanctity of life, but use the defence that "we are only human" when we make mistakes that we don't want to take responsibility for. Werewolves share our humanity, but they are also anchored to the wolf, the species that is most like man and yet man is often most afraid of. But I have both werewolves and humans to thank for teaching me about the greatest thing we all share: the ability to love and be loved.

My late mother instilled in me a love of the endless variety of life. She was a devout Catholic but saw no difference between evolution and creation, or between magic and science. My father raised me to uphold goodness and integrity and to never judge a person until, to  paraphrase Atticus Finch, I had placed myself into their shoes and walked a mile in them. And then a werewolf came into my life. My husband taught me what love and pack means. I had always known St Paul's famous hymn to love in his first letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 13, a passage that transcends all human cultures and belief systems, but it crystallised for me in the way my other half taught me the Way of the Wolf. That love _is_ patient and kind. That it does not keep a record of right and wrong.

At this point I must acknowledge and thank Derek, my husband of eleven years, my mate, my Alpha, and best friend, for all his love and patience and encouragement. And to our two beautiful children, Seth and Claudia, [ _voice cracks_ ] Papa loves you so much. Stand up Derek, I know you're shy, but I have to show you off. [ _Derek stands up gingerly and waves._ ] Give him a round of applause! [ _Crowd whistles and applauds_.] I love you, babe. And then, too, I want to thank my brother from different parents, my oldest friend, and the first werewolf in my life, Scott, I love you, bro; you've taught me so much. [ _Scott stands up, crying openly, and the crowd applauds again._ ]

[ _Stiles wipes his eyes, and takes a deep breath._ ] So, everybody, if any of you have a problem that I am married to a man with whom I have raised two children, or that I am a Catholic and he is an agnostic, leave now. Ah. I see nobody has. That's wonderful.

Because now I want to talk about werewolves. For far too long there has been a gulf between werewolves and humans, so much fear, so much unnecessary isolation. We forget that a long time ago we were friends. Something amazing happened the first time a wolf ventured into the light of the campfire and the greatest bond between man and any other creature happened. It burns in every relationship between a human and a dog. And so, in that dim, breathless past, the first werewolves appeared. The protectors of the weak, the guardians of humanity.

I want to repeat that, the guardians of humanity. You carry in you the best of both the wolf and man. That is why you are "were", meaning man, plus "wolf". I have learned that these are but external differences. Man and wolf can be equally good, equally cruel. But we all have that great gift: choice. Here, I want to quote from my favourite book, John Steinbeck's "East of Eden," which Derek introduced me to. In it, there is an astonishing conversation between two of the characters where they discuss the original translation of the story of Cain and Abel. The Lord forgives Cain for killing Abel, even though he is branded and expelled. He says to him, Cain, "thou mayest be good. You have a choice." He is saying, go forth, and hopefully you can be good, and bring good to the world.

We can all bring good to the world. Like the great Dr Martin Luther King, I have a dream, and I will paraphrase him, because my own words pale before his. I have a dream where every human and every werewolf will be friends, brothers and sisters in arms. That we can all learn from the great message of being pack: pack is family, pack is being there for each other. For far too long fear has stalked this beautiful planet which we share, for all we know, the only place in this vast Universe where this thing called Life exists in beauty and abundance. We can destroy that fear, and we can do it with love.

In many ways, Derek and I were united because we were tired of horror and hate and sadness. In each other we found love and happiness, and our faith in people was restored. And by people I mean werewolves and humans together. Our differences should be celebrated, while we delight in the knowledge that we share far more than what we possibly could have imagined.

I invite you all to take this step, to unite, to believe that pack is being there for each other, no matter what we can or cannot do; that no wolf or human is ever alone.

I have taken the Oath before you, but here I promise again to lead to the best of my ability, and always act in the best interests of all werewolves and all humans.

We need not fear anymore. We are all humans now. We are all werewolves now. _Ich bin ein Wolf, und ich bin ein Mensch_. Let us bask in the sunlight; let us dance in the moonlight. Together.

To all that have gone before us in the spirit of light and liberty, may eternal light shine on them; _lux perpetua luceat eis_. 

God bless America.

 _Dieu bénisse Le Canada_.

 _Dios bendinga a México_.

God bless all the creatures of the Earth.

God bless you all.

Thank you, and goodnight.

[ _The crowd goes wild with deafening applause, cheers and a ten-minute standing ovation. Stiles, overcome, bursts into tears, and is hugged by an emotional Derek and their children, who have been propelled forward by the crowd._ ]


End file.
